The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-09-08

~6o' 'ASPuoA'O-AOOhiHA Uiutc, pIOkc
through the opening. He was the most
formidable specimen of his kind I had
ever seen, and my sympathies were at
once with the bull, in spite of his bel
ligerent attitude toward me few min
utes before, butt had my serious doubts
about the final result of the combat
that began at once.
'That combat was a trial of brute
force that no words of mine are ade-
quate to describe. When the bear
made his appearance out of the thicket
the bull did not wait for his contest
ants charge, but, lowering his great
head to the ground, he rushed madly
upon the bear. The latter seemed to
appreciate the abilities of the bull, and
summoned all the wariness of his ma
turc to his aid. He waited until the
bull was almost upon him, and then
sprang aside with marvellous quickness,
seized his assailant's horns in his pow
erful grasp, and pressed his head down
against the ground by his great strength
and the weight of his enormous body,
biting at the bulls nose and tearing
the flesh from his neck and shoulders
with his long sharp claws. This posi-
ton was maintained for at least five
minutes, the bull struggling desperate
ly to free his head, but being unable to
accomplish it, while the bear put forth
every muscle to press the bulls body
to the ground. The blood poured from
the bulls nostrils in great streams, but
the bear had as yet received no appar-
ent injury.
Presently both animals paused in
their desperate struggle, as each was
blown and rapidly approaching ex-
haustion. The bear did not relax the
hold he had obtained on his contestant.
AS yet, during the fight, neither ami
NAL had uttered sound. except their
loud and labored breathing. The ces-
sation in the struggle had probably
been of ten minutes duration, when
suddenly the bull made one desperate
lunge, broke the motionless but terrible
embrace, hurled the bear from off his
head and backed away probably ten
PAGES. The bear lifted his huge form
on his launches and stood ready for
the next assault. The herd of cattle
had by this time gathered in from the
plain and surrounded the combatants,
moaning and believing, and paving
up the ground, but maintaining ter
rified neutrality. From my position in
the tree l watched the exciting scene
with breathless interest.
1.-The bull did not remain at rest a
moment after backing away for new
charge, but, rendered furious by his
wounds, he gathered all his energies,
and with an unearthly cry rushed with
impetuous force and ferocity upon the
bear. The latter attempted to use the
tactics that had served him so well al
the first onslaught, but the second
charge of the bull was irresistible, ir
spite of the bears terrific blows with
his paws, and the grizzly went down in
the dust before his crazed antagonist
and vainly tried to defend himself. The
bull thrust his horns in under the bear
caught him in the belly with one of tht
sharp weapons, and with one furious
sweep of his head tore the grizzly oper
until his entrails protruded. Then thu
grizzly rose to his feet, and with a roal
that made my blood run cold CLOSED
with his terrible enemy, and for Ions
time the two fought, their cries and th'
cries of the surrounding cattle being
frightful to listen to.
'.While the fight was going on tw'
great eagles appeared from some mys
terious arie and sailed and circled abov
the scene of the conflict, leisurely ant
gradually dropping nearer to the earth
Almost simultaneously with the ap
pearance of the eagles 1 saw the head
of half dozen hungry wolves emerg
from the bushes where the fight ha
begun. / knew that the battle mus
soon end, and that the eagles and tn
, wolves had scented the contest fror
, afar, and knew by their infallible in
, stinct that it must result in choice pre-
for them. The presence of these hungr
birds and beasts of prey added to tn
terror of the bloody conflict.
q The terrible fight continued. Tn
ground was torn up and covered wit
! blood for many feet around. Both an
e mails were grievousiy wounded. 1twa
+ plain that neither could hold out muc
t longer. Manned and cory, they fougf
with the certainty of death, the bea
rolling over and over in the dust vainl
/ trying to avoid the fatal horns of hi
+ adversary, and the bull ripping, thrus
8 ing and tearing the grizzly with irr'
4 sistible ferocity. At last. as if detel
4 mined to end the conflict. the bull DIRE
n back, lowered his head, and made
}. third terrific charge, but, blinded b
e the streams of blood that poured dow
s his face, he missed his mark, stumbled
t and rolled headlong on the ground. ]
i spite of his frightful injuries and gre'
v exhaustion, the bear turned quickly an
@ sprang upon his PROSTATE enemy. Z
d seemed to have been suddenly invigo
@ ated by this turn of the battle in h
!, 1 oxyaorc of h